SOCORRO, N.M., December 20, 2001-- Maureen Wilks, geologist and geological librarian at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, is the co-author of a recently published pictorial guidebook, The Southwest Inside and Out: An Illustrated Guide to the Land and Its History.

In conjunction with award-winning photographer Thomas Wiewandt, Wilks vividly describes the natural history of the sweeping landscapes and vistas of the American Southwest, complementing the more than 300 color photographs in the book with thought-provoking explanations of the geologic processes that have shaped the land, people, and wildlife of the region.

The Southwest Inside and Out: An Illustrated Guide to the Land and Its History, which was published by Wild Horizons Publishing, currently is available in select bookstores and through on-line book sellers in a paperbound edition.

In her position with the Bureau of Geology, Wilks maintains the bibliography of geology, hydrology, and mineral technology of New Mexico and the New Mexico Geochronological Database, as well as oversees the organization's Geological Information Center.

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is a research and service division of New Mexico Tech.